


==> Get Spoiled

by perceptivefics



Series: Saga of the Signless [4]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Aftercare, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Implied Flush Crush, Light BDSM, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Nook Eating, Overstimulation, Shibari, mild grinding sort of, mild praise/worship, mostly on Signless's face
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 18:19:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11811603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perceptivefics/pseuds/perceptivefics
Summary: Signless decides he's going to show some real appreciation for Cronus and his company. He does this by talking out an agreement to a pretty simple scene with shibari and nook/bulge eating. Cronus is more than happy to oblige.Vague sequel toLucid Touch.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Oops I Did It Again playing in the distance] ONCE AGAIN got carried away with anything involving Amporas and Vantases. Filled out a request for some Crosign on Tumblr and it got wayyyyyyy out of hand, so, have some porn! Everyone likes porn right?
> 
> Aftercare is in the second chapter, and mind the tags for kinks.
> 
> Continuing on that vein, context: this Signless is one which ended up as a commanding officer on Dualscar's ship. Hence he is also the Commander.

Even the simple act of tying him up this way was getting Cronus revved up, and he had no idea where the Commander got the idea to pull this off, but it was an admittedly intriguing suggestion. As it was, he could only sit very still as Signless drew a long length of rope around his body. The material was a little rough - like something he might find on a ship, he supposed - but a little thinner in width, and it felt worn down, old. Enough that it didn't bother his skin as the Commander knotted a sequence of diamond windows down the front of his body. It was a very bizarre process to watch; his arms were already solidly bound behind him, forearms crossed one over the other. Was the rest of this really necessary?

 

"Not too tight?" Asked Signless.

 

Cronus shook his head, watching the intricate looping and knotting process still. "Remind me again why you need all this rope, though?" He asked. The question was coupled with laughter - nervous, perhaps. Only a little.

 

But Signless just smiled at him, and pushed him back to the pillows on the Captain's bed. "Lay back and draw your knees up," he said. Cronus complied, although confused, and the Commander kept going. As Cronus felt the length now being looped around his thighs and ankles, the other explained, "It's mostly just an aesthetic choice. I found a book in one of the bubbles that went into detail about this practice."

 

"Theeeee...practice of tying a bunch'a fancy useless rope knots on your partner?" Cronus checked, arching one eyebrow. "How you plan on gettin' me out of it, by the way?"

 

"Patience and fortitude," said Signless, giving Cronus a look that told him to stop talking. It came with a coy little smirk as he tied off one of the knots near Cronus's ankle. "What have I told you about patience, angelfish?"

 

"Not to have any at all," replied the seadweller with a grin.

 

Signless smacked his knee. "Smartass." While Cronus laughed in return, he worked through the last necessary sequence, and tied off the final knots with ease. "There."

 

He sat back to admire his work. Dyed, bright-red ropes, intricately threaded and knotted all over Cronus's body. Aesthetically pleasing, but binding him up in a certain way, too. His arms were behind his back with his forearms crossed, and Cronus's legs were tied in such a way that he could kneel when upright. His limbs were, until Signless untied him, frozen in those positions. The rope also accentuated the jutting cuves of his hips, and framed his nook and bulge in a way that Signless absolutely _adored._

 

Cronus, for his part - now laying flat on his back, tied up as he was, and unsurprisingly already turned on - watched Signless watching him, went flush, and felt embarrassment when he had no way of hiding it. His pusher hammered anxiously against his ribcage, but it was all nerves. They had already talked this over; he knew what he was getting into. It was just the anticipation of the actual act. He didn't plan on stopping unless he really had to.

 

"See?" The Commander purred. He reached down to Cronus's nook, unashamed, and drew two fingers down between the folds. Cronus squirmed, well aware he was already wet, the lips already puffy with arousal. He discovered within moments, as Signless teased the base of his bulge next, that it was very hard for him to get away - if not impossible. "Pretty as a picture."

 

Cronus flashed a little smirk. "Awww, you just like havin' me all wrapped up and at your disposal."

 

"Of course I do," Signless agreed. "But that also means that I like to look at you."

 

The older troll moved him into a laying position against the pillows that was only slightly more comfortable than before, due to the way he was tied up. Cronus's bulge coiled and twisted against his stomach the whole time, eager for attention. "I ain't nothin' special, Commander." In a meaningful look, his eyes went down the whole length of the other's body, taking in the sight. He would never get over how fucking _pretty_ Signless looked: all shock-red eyes and soft hair, a trimmed scruffy beard, soft curves, and dark-gray skin with a mottled brick-red pattern freckling his body in smatters. Solid, steady chitin plates growing from his forearms like a pair of bracers, and the spinal row of them that Cronus couldn't see running from the base of his neck to the small of his back. There was just no room for comparison, as far as he was concerned. (Fucking look at him, what good was he, anyway?)

 

"Aren't you?" Signless challenged. He had a small frown on his features; he was almost insulted that Cronus would say such a thing. "I think you give yourself too little credit. Maybe after this I could help change your mind." He reached up, smoothing his hands over the seadweller's grubscars and making him shiver when he scratched nails down over sensitive skin. He traced underneath the ropes and knots keeping him bound in places, the touch so light Cronus only just felt it. It just about drove him mad until Signless was petting his head, crunching out the stiffness of his hairstyle (always the first thing to go after clothes, as per usual), thumbs rubbing along the base of his horns. He bent down after a time and caught Cronus in a kiss, then another, and another. Cronus breathed out softly and tried to will his body to relax while Signless purred at him, interrupting the sweetness of the moment by catching the other's labret piercing between his teeth and sucking on it. Signless grunted in appreciation and ran a hand down Cronus's body in one long line before curling his fingers around a squirming violet bulge, squeezing firmly.

 

It seemed patently unfair, but Cronus reminded himself this was what he'd asked for. If he was lucky, maybe later, the Commander would let him touch back. As it stood, all he could do was lay there and be touched. (Was this supposed to be a test of his patience? Did Signless know how much it was going to drive him crazy just laying around, not being able to do anything in return?)

 

His concern must have shown in his face, because in the next moment Signless said - between kisses and little bites to his jaw and throat - "You look like you want to say something."

 

Cronus's mouth twisted up into a small frown, eyebrows pressing together. He shifted in his bindings a little bit, head tipping back. "Just gotta get used to being a pillow princess, I guess," he said. "Kinda really wanna touch you."

 

Signless clicked his tongue. "Now, now." He twisted his palm along the length of Cronus's bulge slowly, dragging out the touch as long as he could. Cronus only half-succeeded in biting back a moan. "What did I tell you would be required of you after I put you in these ropes?"

 

He thought back to their earlier discussion, all while Signless teased him with slow strokes over his bulge, fingers tracing the little ridges along the length. Cronus squirmed, arched, tried to twist his hips up into the touch, but it was hard. He grumbled in mild frustration as Signless sucked over his pulse, leaving open kisses along his neck, digging in gently with his teeth every so often to try and leave a mark. Thinking was suddenly very, very difficult.

 

"Uhh. Lay back and look pretty for ya?" He tried.

 

Signless rewarded him by grinding the heel of his palm against the base of Cronus's bulge. "And?"

 

Fuck, there was _more?_ Cronus pursed his lips into a tight line. When Signless pulled away a bit, he looked at the other like he might bless him with some sort of hint. All he got for his efforts was the Commander arching an eyebrow at him and waiting patiently. Cronus let out a frustrated little huff. It took him some time, but eventually: "Um...don't hold nothin' in. I think?"

 

He got a smile. That was a good sign. Signless leaned in again, and kissed his cheek, slipping his fingers down until he was curling them carefully into Cronus's nook. "There's my sweet angelfish."

 

Cronus laughed awkwardly as he nuzzled the older troll, writhing again as he felt Signless opening him up with his fingers, adding digits until he had three of them buried up to the first row of knuckles. He was still getting used to the pet name. It was weird when he was so used to being the one coming up with them, that someone had actually gone and crowned him with one of his own.

 

Signless smiled from ear to ear in return. He purred a little louder, and reached down to work his free hand over Cronus's bulge while he teased against the seadweller's inner walls. Cronus lost his breath mid-laugh, went slack against the bed, and moaned.

 

"I mean - uhh -" He tried to talk, but all he could do was swallow and start over. "If that's what you want -"

 

"Cronus, you _need_ to stop talking," Signless sighed. Not annoyed; just being firm. There was no reprimand in his expression when he said it, but Cronus clamped his mouth shut anyway, embarrassed.

 

"Sorry. You know how I get."

 

Signless smoothed his thumb along the root of Cronus's bulge in a half-circle before working his palm along the length again. He was still cool to the touch, especially compared to the unnatural heat that clung to Signless like it was its own energy. But he was definitely getting worked up; there was already a thick coat of pre-material from his nook and bulge coating Signless's hands, making everything slick, and it was easy to work his fingers in him. He decided to give Cronus something else to focus on. "Tell me how it feels."

 

That didn't take much effort at all. Cronus exhaled, closing his eyes a moment. His muscles twitched and his body arched. He flexed his fingers behind his back. Tiny movements that worked out all of his pent-up energy because he _couldn't move_ otherwise. Signless watched him, finding the sight to be so satisfying. "Your hands are really hot," Cronus said.

 

"Is it painful?" Asked the Commander.

 

"No. Feels good. All -" He hesitated. Then, "All warm, y'know. Like, I'm _aware."_

 

"Aware how?"

 

"Just..." Something about what Signless was doing on his bulge made him twist against the sheets. Cronus knew he had his eyebrows creased together at this point, and that his breaths were coming out slower, heavier. It was also harder for him to talk. "Y'know..."

 

Signless decided to have some mercy as he started to crawl down onto his stomach. He hooked his fingers to stroke over a certain spot inside Cronus that made his body jolt from head to toe. He was still holding back a lot of the noises he could make, and Signless knew that, but that was fine. Give the boy some time. "Does the heat make it so you can feel every little thing I do?"

 

Cronus bobbed his head in a quick nod. He sucked in a breath when he realized what the Commander was getting ready to do, hovering over his bulge. His hands went away only for a moment so he could wrap them underneath his ankles (bound to his thighs still, heels just inches from his ass, and he couldn't move them if he tried). Even just that loss of contact had him groaning.

 

"So my angelfish can feel it more than usual when I do this?"

 

Signless didn't leave him time to ask what _this_ was. The answer was it was the sensation of him drawing his tongue over Cronus's bulge, and working his fingers against the root in a small massage that lit up his nerve endings like fucking festival lights. Cronus inhaled sharply, body straining against the ropes as he went tense. Signless took the writhing length of him into his mouth and he groaned, heavy and low, breath leaving him in a huff.

 

The temperature difference from the wide range in their colors made it feel like he had his bulge in a heat sink. He knew what to expect by now, but every time the Commander sucked him off or ate him out, it was like a reminder of what he'd been missing. Cronus tried to be mindful, bulge twisting around as Signless bobbed his head, tongue flat against the violet length of him. It instinctively tried to stretch as far as it would go down the other's throat, and it took all of his willpower not to let it get ahead of the rest of his thinkpan. Because Signless's mouth was _hot_ and the suction was _amazing,_ and he was doing things with his tongue and his fingers that were _so fucking exquisite_ and Cronus hated that he didn't have a broad enough vocabulary to describe just how much he loved this.

 

There was only a brief pause where Signless pulled away and smiled. He ran his tongue around the base of his bulge, stroking over the length that had now warmed up considerably after sucking on it. "Take that as a yes."

 

 _"Fuck yes,"_ Cronus moaned.

 

Signless cooed affectionately, kissing his bulge and sucking on a small patch of ridges. He slid his fingers back into Cronus's nook, stroking one fold with his thumb in an almost soothing motion as he rubbed his digits along the spot he found before. Cronus _whined._

 

"Angelfish wants more?"

 

Angelfish wanted _so much fucking more._ Cronus nodded quickly, opening his eyes to look down. Instead of complying, Signless only watched him. It was almost predatory in a primal kind of way, like he wanted to just eat Cronus whole and be done with it, and that was doing some _weird,_ fucking _weird-good_ things to his libido, holy shit. Just having the burn of those candy-red eyes staring up at him was enough to fill Cronus's pusher with a concupiscent rapture that he did not feel like tackling right now, not when this was supposed to be just a temporary arrangement that they could go back to whenever they felt like it. (God, did he feel like it, though. He felt like it way too much for it to be fair, and he hated it.)

 

The nodding obviously wasn't enough. "Yes," he added, urging Signless on with a short thrust of his hips. But rather than doing anything more - again - the Commander just smiled wider. Cronus thought in that very moment that this would be it. He was double-dead, and this Signless was going to kill him. Part of him thought maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

 

"Greedy boy," Signless murmured. It was almost out of endearment, how he said it. It was also hard to tell if that was a purr or a growl - felt like a little bit of both, which made Cronus shudder with need.

 

"N -" Cronus choked, hesitated, glanced anxiously at Signless for some indication of what he was looking for. "No?"

 

"No?" Echoed Signless, sinking his fingers a little deeper, squeezing a little harder. "Don't lie to me now, Cronus. We've been together so many times now. You think I can't tell how hungry you are?"

 

He closed his mouth around Cronus's bulge again, but he didn't suck as hard as before, or as much. Cronus squirmed, gasped, felt his stomach coiling with the build-up of an orgasm that Signless had to be purposefully dragging out. It went on like that for a while - he had a difficult time getting the words out in a way that felt proper when Signless was playing him like a fucking maestro. Especially with the raw heat of him, and just watching the way the older troll sucked him off and loved doing it the entire time.

 

"I want it!" Cronus exclaimed finally, pride be damned. Fuck propriety. He was flush from head to toe, soaking the sheets and the Commander's hands, and he was dying. "I want more! _Please."_

 

"Please, what?" Growled Signless, nipping one inner thigh with his teeth.

 

"Uhhhhhhhhh _fuck."_ Cronus snarled, pulling air into his lungs like he forgot how to breathe.

 

"We show proper respect to our superiors on this ship." Signless told him, sounding only a little impatient. Cronus didn't care if it was part of the act or if it was genuine. He was just happy to get any kind of reminder at all for how his brain was cooking inside his own skull.

 

"Please, Commander, sir," he babbled out. He used both because he wasn't sure which one would be better, which one Signless preferred.

 

It was apparently enough, because he heard a pleased, deep purring, the vibrations transferring slightly to his bulge. "Good lad."

 

Cronus couldn't physically puzzle out how to respond when Signless went back to sucking and thrusting his fingers. It was different because he couldn't do any of the things he normally did: he couldn't reach down and bury his fingers into the Commander's hair, couldn't rub circles around the base of his cute nubby horns, couldn't buck and twist his hips the way he wanted to. He wasn't even allowed to close his thighs, the way he did sometimes when it was really good and he just wanted to pin Signless's head in place until he was done. Any time he tried to move his lower body, the Commander made damn sure Cronus stayed exactly where he wanted him: legs spread wide, reclining on the bed, bound from head to toe. All Cronus could do was squirm and twitch and _watch._

 

He wasn't entirely clear on what the deciding factor was for his first orgasm. Could've been the way Signless looked at him, mouth full of bulge, hungry and expectant and knowing what he wanted. Could've been the way it felt to coil the end of his bulge against the inside of the other's mouth, how it felt to have those fingers pressed into him, hot working into cold. Did there have to be a ranking system, though, really? Did it matter at all once he actually came, moaning, spurting cool violet all over the sheets and Signless's hand and in his mouth? It didn't, really. And Cronus didn't feel like trying to figure it out.

 

Signless swallowed up what he could of the genetic material that soon filled his mouth and throat. It was always a messy affair, and it was unavoidable that a portion of Cronus's violet fluids would just end up _on_ him instead of _in_ him, regardless of what they were doing. He didn't mind, though - there was a satisfaction in getting Cronus to his peak, especially when he had a good vantage point to watch it from and the freedom to do as he liked. Which - not so surprisingly - was the entire motivation behind getting the young seadweller tied up all pretty.

 

Because Cronus didn't believe in his own handsomeness, his own beauty. And as Signless watched the way he writhed, how he flexed against the ropes and his eyes rolled back, how he went slack against the pillows as waves of pleasure rolled through him from his shoulders to his toes, he vowed he was going to fix that one day.

 

For now, though, he resolved to break that uncertainty down in a more old-fashioned way: by being as greedy as he fucking wanted to be, within what Cronus would allow.

 

He grinned up at the seadweller, who looked down at him and smiled back, still a little breathless from the high of orgasm. Signless could see the stars in his eyes; it made him so happy. He almost pitied the poor boy for what he was going to do next.

 

He rubbed slow, gentle circles into Cronus's hips, kissing at the root of his bulge. The younger troll twisted around a bit, but Signless kept him from moving too much. He then, without a word, drew his tongue along the lazy, wriggling length, humming pleasantly. Cronus shivered, surprised at how quick the other was getting back to it. "Fuck, round two already?" He asked, laughing. Thinking himself funny.

 

"Mmmm." Signless confirmed the question with a wordless smirk, gently nipping Cronus's thigh again as he settled for using just his hands. Just to get him built up again. "And a round three, and four, and five..."

 

Cronus's thinkpan ran headlong into a brick wall. He blinked down at Signless as the words slowly started to sink in; watched as the Commander stared back, near devilish in his delight, and - yes, Cronus realized, he was actually serious. His fingers were not stopping, and he suspected that Signless's mouth and tongue wouldn't stop, either. "Oh," He chirped, his usually deeper voice cracking a high staccato as he stammered. “Oh? Oh. Okay?” Fuck. He’d been expecting this, but he didn’t think Signless would just dive right into it. And now his brain was fully preoccupied with bracing himself for the onslaught. How was it going to _feel?_ Would he even be able to handle it? What was this going to do to him in the long run, and how many times did the Commander plan on making him cum? When he trailed off at five, was that five orgasms, or was that more like _oh you know at least five, but probably more, who knows?_

 

"Angelfish having second thoughts already?"

 

The authority in Signless's tone and the way that he teased with his words alone hit his arousal like a shot in a way Cronus wasn't certain he was worthy of appreciating all of a sudden. "No, no, I just -" he swallowed, fixing Signless with a mildly concerned expression, face all flush from fin-to-fin. "How - How - how many are we going for, exactly? Sir?"

 

Signless pieced and puzzled over his question, murmuring as he appeared lost in thought. Cronus almost wanted to kick him for looking so smug and unaffected while he was knuckles-deep in his nook - this _had_ to be doing something to him, so what gave him the right to be so goddamn calm about it?

 

"You know, I'm not sure, exactly." Said Signless. "Your Commander is a greedy old troll, so I'm thinking...at least five, but probably more. Who knows?"

 

_OH._

 

Cronus chirred back, eyes a little wide. "I...uhh...C-Commander, I'm not sure if..."

 

"You're a hardy little fish." Signless said, looking so confident that Cronus almost believed his next statement. (Said to him as the older troll lowered his head again, ran his tongue up between his nookfolds and pumped his bulge between his fingers like a pro.) "I'm sure you can handle it. But you know what to do if you can't."

 

* * *

 

Somewhere around the third orgasm, Cronus lost his ability to stifle his own moans. Stars burst behind his eyelids and everything was a mess, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He got _no_ breaks on Signless’s watch - if it wasn’t his mouth, it was his hands. There was lots of kissing and biting and stroking and licking and Cronus was sure there were _dozens_ of hickeys on his thighs now, because they were sore when he squeezed them around Signless’s head, locking him in place. The Commander let him do that, _finally,_ after a certain point, and even just that much freedom of movement was like a blessing for how much he felt like he was being set on fire in the best way.

 

He lost track of how many times he came, pleasure rippling through his body until it was all he felt. Signless watched the entire time as Cronus came undone. The more he twisted around, the more he moaned and cried, the more it roiled right through him. He was fucking _marvelous._ Which orgasm number was this now? Six? Didn’t matter. Cronus was near to _screaming,_ all strained muscles and violet-flushed skin, breathlessly panting and moaning and _whimpering._ Bioluminescent spatters of freckles in _very_ familiar patterns lit up his body at some point and Signless _moaned_ against the boy’s nook, drinking in the sight. Cronus’s bulge had tapped out after a time, coiling back up out of view because really, who the fuck had that much genetic material in them? It was fine - less things to split his attention, as far as Signless was concerned.

 

“You are _so wonderful.”_ The words left his mouth like a prayer, threaded with a low moan that sounded nearly orgasmic on its own. Signless kissed at his seed flap; Cronus’s bulge twitched inside him and he yelped, especially when Signless _purred_ and he could _feel it,_ God could he fucking feel it. “Look at you, pretty little pearl, all bright and shiny for me. Making all those beautiful sounds. I could kiss you, you know, ‘til you forgot how to.” Signless - being very careful, because he knew how much Cronus was drowning in sensation - breached his tongue past the other’s seed flap. Just for a moment, and then it was gone. But that time, Cronus _did_ scream, bubbling out a curse in seadweller tongue, and Signless _grinned._ “Angelfish has a dirty mouth on him,” he growled.

 

Half of the Commander’s praises didn’t even register. Cronus was aware of almost nothing but the heat sticking to his nook and thighs. Everything below his waist was varying degrees of warm, and he wasn’t so sure that the wetness he produced was proper genetic material anymore. Just a bunch of useless sexual body fluids mixed with his color that probably wouldn’t even fill the bottom of a pail. Everything felt watered down, thin. The last couple times he came, the Commander swallowed it all up with such ease, then just went right back to licking him, sucking on his folds, pressing his tongue inside and making him wish he could _just fucking move already_ but he couldn’t. His body was tired, but wide the fuck awake and unable to rest, and the things Signless did to him now were so good that it almost, _almost_ hurt.

 

He babbled out _something._ Cronus thought there might have been a word in there, but he wasn’t sure. He heard Signless murmuring in vague acknowledgment before he was eating him out again and _oh, God,_ he already felt something working up in his stomach. Could these even be counted as orgasms, or was his thinkpan just _stuck,_ now? It seemed like he hadn’t stopped cumming since he hit a certain point. Just one long, dragged out, wonderful, frightening, _amazing_ orgasm that turned him into a pile of muscles and brain matter with some semblance of a personality. Cronus thought if there were some way to reach a transcendental state of mind, this had to open _some kind_ of gateway.

 

Cronus squeezed his eyes shut as his body bucked of its own accord. It felt like Signless had stopped holding him down, for the most part. Liked to watch him writhing around, kicking and twisting, probably. He sobbed - actually started sobbing. Vaguely, in the back of his mind, Cronus tried to hold on. He started getting a real rolling motion to his hips, gasping a little. He was vaguely aware that he may or may not be just grinding his nook against the Commander’s mouth while the other still tried to lick him, and he just _let Cronus do that,_ growling, the burring of the sound making Cronus see sparks. He thought that he could do this, though. He wanted to make Signless happy and proud and stick it out until he decided his mouth and hands got tired.

 

He made it through about five minutes of an uncomfortable sensation mixed with his pleasure before he realized that would be a mistake, and for his own sake, foolish pride broken down into sensibility, Cronus cracked. The name that he was only supposed to use as a last resort left his lips, louder than he wanted, but no less urgent. _“KANNY!”_

 

Cronus was heaving in his breaths as Signless drew himself upright. All the playfulness went out of him; the touches stopped. The Commander watched his charge, wiping the violet fluids from his face while Cronus lay slack on the bed, huffing and whining.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Cronus, through gnashed teeth, tried to talk. But the inside of his mouth felt dry and his lungs wouldn’t stop trying to draw in air. Damn body, being all occupied with  _breathing_ and shit.

 

“Cronus?” Checked Signless, worried, now.

  
“I can’t,” Cronus managed. Which wasn’t right. It wasn’t a full statement, it didn’t completely describe what he was feeling, but he literally  had _no energy_ to string his words together for more than a couple of breaths.


	2. Chapter 2

Signless smoothed one hand over Cronus’s stomach, trying to be comforting. “Ssshhh, ssshhhh, baby boy, just breathe. You’re okay.” He paused, taking in the situation for a moment while Cronus tried to take control back over his own lungs. Then: “Cronus, I’m going to ask you some simple yes or no questions, and I want you to answer them so I can help you. If you truly can’t answer  _ yes  _ or  _ no,  _ say  _ maybe.  _ Nod if you understand.”

 

It took him a moment, but the seadweller gave a quick nod.

 

Patient as a saint, Signless started his questionnaire. “Are you in pain?”

 

“No,” Cronus said, after a thought.

 

“Are you uncomfortable?”

 

Cronus took another beat, tears streaking his cheeks. “Maybe.”

 

“Overwhelmed?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Signless sat on that for a bit, rubbing his hand up and down over Cronus’s hip in the meanwhile. “Does it feel bad?”

 

“No,” said Cronus. He didn’t even hesitate that time.

 

“Do you want to stop?”

 

Cronus didn’t answer. He stared up at the ceiling, gills flared open wide, eyebrows pressed tight together. “Don’t tell me  _ yes  _ if you’re not going to enjoy it,” Signless warned him. “I’m not going to agree if you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

 

The seadweller set his jaw. “No.”

 

Sensing his stubbornness rearing its ugly head, Signless sighed. He asked gently: “Do you want to take a break?”

 

Cronus thought about that for a good while. His breathing had slowed by then, and he felt less like he was going to fall apart at the seams if Signless went for his nook again. But he still didn’t feel like trying to tackle that without getting his higher cognitive thought processes back. “Yes.”

 

Signless patted his hip. “Want me to untie you?”

 

Cronus whimpered. “I wanna hold you.”

 

“Awwww,  _ angelfish.”  _ Signless cooed at him gently, swells of pity pooling in his pusher. He went for the last knot that he’d made, and went through the process of getting Cronus unbound. It was as much a process getting him out of the ropes as it was getting him in them, but still marginally faster. One-by-one Cronus felt freedom of movement returning to his limbs. He  _ groaned  _ when he could stretch his legs, though Signless had to help him sit up and roll his shoulders. He was pretty much useless when it came to moving around even without the ropes, he had cum so hard and so much.

 

The Commander held him sitting up, shushing him and kissing his cheek. Cronus felt a hand rubbing up and down between his shoulder blades as he rested slack against Signless’s front, blinking away the remnants of his tears, catching his breath. Fuck, now that he wasn’t going  _ completely brain-dead  _ with orgasms, he was aware of his own shaking. Not a lot. Only a hair. But Cronus still felt weird about it. Shouldn’t he be a lot stronger than that?

 

His eyes wandered over the bed, sweeping from one side to the other in idle glances while Signless held him close. Cronus noticed something as he finally worked his limp, noodly arms around the older troll, returning the embrace as tight as he could stand. There was a mixed staining of red in the silk and cotton sheets, lower down from the  _ absolutely massive  _ mess of violet that came from him.  _ Oh. _ Well, now he felt a little less bad. Cronus smirked against the Commander’s shoulder. So the enthralled quality to his voice earlier wasn’t just his brain playing tricks, it seemed.

 

“Were you playing with yourself while you watched me?”

 

“Does it look like I was?” Signless replied, nuzzling Cronus’s neck.

 

Cronus spoke slowly, and his voice cracked on every other word. “Looks like you kinda lost it at some point.”

 

“I might have,” agreed Signless. He kissed the seadweller’s cheek. “You sound hoarse.”

 

“M’a little thirsty,” Cronus admitted. “But I’m probably fine -”

 

“Oh, Cronus.” Signless sighed, leaving the bed before the other could complain. “You really need to work on that. Stay there.”

 

It didn’t take long at all to prepare a glass of water, especially with how the bubbles worked - the space inside the Captain’s cabin would change, even minutely, just to satisfy their needs if it had to. Signless half suspected getting up to fetch the pitcher and a glass was only out of habit. He could probably just  _ materialize  _ a damn water glass, if he wanted to, but that would feel a little weird to him. Either way, he brought one back with him, and put it in Cronus’s hands. “Drink.”

 

Sensing he didn’t have much choice, the seadweller obliged. He  _ was  _ pretty parched, anyhow. Probably from all the moaning and screaming.

 

Signless draped his arms around Cronus’s middle, resting his head on the other’s shoulder. Touches were kept light and soothing; a hand on the younger troll’s outer thigh, gentle strokes up and down his arm. Cronus didn’t speak until he’d swallowed down half the water in his glass. The bioluminescent markings on his body started to fade as his body calmed down. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

 

“Why sorry?” Asked Signless.

 

“‘Cause I didn’t make it all the way through without stopping.”

 

The Commander chuckled in his ear. “Cronus, I wouldn’t expect you to stay on the ride if you can’t have fun with it.” He kissed the other’s cheek once, then again, and a third time on his jaw. “You did very well. You did.”

 

Cronus cast the older troll a sideways glance. “...So you still liked it?”

 

“Of course. The whole point of it was to make you feel good.” Signless pulled back a bit, giving him a curious look. “Did  _ you  _ like it?”

 

Cronus couldn’t help but to laugh. He swallowed down a lump in his throat, drank a little more water, and then: “All the feeling’s gone out of my legs and into my nook, but  _ yeah.  _ Fuck. It was -” he hesitated, trying to find the right word. He couldn’t, so he settled with, “It was fucking  _ great.” _

 

“Worth it, then?” Asked the Commander with a smirk.

 

He swallowed down again and nodded. “Worth it,” he agreed. “I just…” Cronus mulled over his words for a moment. “Feels like I should’ve been able to do more for longer.”

 

“You’ve done enough, angelfish.” Signless nuzzled him again, purring gently. He reached up and carded his fingers through Cronus’s hair in an affectionate gesture. “You really did. You were  _ so good  _ for me. My brave little pearl. Made all kinds of pretty sounds, and you even lit up a little near the end there!”

 

When he mentioned  _ that  _ part, Cronus felt his face flushing violet all over again, but the Commander just grinned and continued on, kissing him again, rubbing his shoulders. “I liked watching you squirm around.” He said, “It was cute.”

 

“I’m not cute,” Cronus protested.

 

“You’re cute.” Signless smiled against his jaw as he said it. “Even cuter was when you kept trying to ride my face.”

 

“I don’t know  _ what  _ the hell I was doing,” Cronus admitted, like it could save him from the saccharine double-whammy of playful embarrassment and concupiscent adoration that this disclosure was giving him. “I just knew I wanted to move and that was one of the only damn things you were letting me do.”

 

The Commander laughed, and Cronus felt himself swelling with an affection he knew he shouldn’t have. He clamped down on it, reminding himself of who he was courting outside of this isolated bubble of a dead Captain’s ship floating on an endless ocean. Tried to hide the hints of red in his scent and hoped Signless wouldn’t notice. They’d already talked about this; no strings attached. He was already waiting on someone, and Cronus still wanted to make it work with Kankri.

 

He was  _ pretty sure  _ he wanted to make it work with Kankri, anyway. Besides, it wasn’t like he could just muscle in on the thing the Commander had with his Captain. He couldn’t compete with that, and he knew it.

 

At least the sex was nice. So were the visits though, really. He knew Signless felt  _ something  _ for him; it wasn’t like it was just an empty relationship. They talked, enjoyed each other’s company, sometimes they fucked. But Cronus didn’t have a word for the thing that they had; it was too flushed to be pale, too pale to be flushed, and it was a little bit frustrating, but what was he supposed to do?

 

He ended up distracting himself by reaching down, carefully, testing his nook and seedflap with just one finger. Just the lightest touch. Even with that, Cronus still hissed and pulled his hand back right away. Signless watched him, noticing the discomfort, and arched one eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to get back to it?” He asked.

 

Cronus thought about it a little longer. “I mean…” he admitted, scowling at his genitalia like it had betrayed him, “I want to. I really seriously want to. Like, yeah, it was a lot, but it was  _ good  _ and I - I kind of wanted to rub on you a little more, but I wanted to hold you while doing it? Maybe, somehow?”

 

Signless snorted, endeared by his enthusiasm. “But?”

 

“...But it feels like if you put  _ anything  _ near my nook, I’m gonna overheat, or something.”

 

“Hurts to touch?”

 

Cronus shook his head. “Doesn’t  _ hurt.  _ It’s just  _ sensitive,  _ but. Not in a good way. Not anymore.” He sounded disappointed as he made that remark. Again, body. Betrayer of the brain. All fleshy and bruised and  _ body-like _ and really very rude.

 

“Then we’ll stop, for now.” Signless said, leaving no room to question. He patted Cronus’s leg in reassurance. “I’m happy that you want to do more, but it sounds like you’re physically tapped out. We’ll try again another time if you want.”

 

He glanced to the Commander, questioning and just a little bit shy. “You won’t be annoyed if I change my mind?”

 

Signless actually looked a bit insulted by the question. “No! That would be ridiculous.”

 

It was consolation enough to make Cronus feel better about the state of things. He let out a long sigh, like he’d been holding his breath, and relaxed against Signless. His shoulders went slack and he shut his eyes, chittering in popping, tired tones. “Thanks.”

 

“Always.” The Commander kissed his shoulder this time, arms around him in a warm hug. Cronus could hear the smile in his tone. “Thank you for letting me see you that way.”

 

Cronus smirked back. When he responded, he felt like the wind was knocked out of him. But he was happy. “Thanks for makin’ me feel that way.”

 

Signless responded with a low purr. “Anything you want to do now?”

 

Lots of things, honestly, though Cronus was sure Signless wouldn’t oblige him on more than half the requests. He settled for one of the easier ones that he knew the older troll would be receptive to after giving it some thought. “Can I just lay on you a while?” He asked. “This is kinda nice.”

 

“Shall we have a bath while we do that?”

 

“...I guess?” Cronus pointed out, “Not like we have to do very much to get ourselves clean.”

 

“It’s the principle of the matter.” Signless insisted, “Baths feel nice. And the water can be as warm as we want. And I can still hold you while we lay in the bath.”

 

He couldn’t argue with that, he supposed. Getting cuddled and soothed by his favorite troll in the middle of a nice, warm bath sounded like the perfect way to round out this whole event, when he thought about it. “‘Kay. Sure.”

 

Signless stood the moment there was an agreement, then helped Cronus to do the same. He had to lean on the other a little because his legs were like fucking jelly, but he didn’t care. “Let’s get you in the bath, then,” said Signless. Cronus let him lead the way across the cabin towards the fancy ablution trap that occupied a portion of the space. (And oh, look at that, thank you dream bubbles for providing water at the perfect temperature right when they happened to look at it. So convenient. So thoughtful. He  _ really  _ wished this function had existed while he was alive on Beforus.)

 

When they had settled into the water, Signless was propped upright with Cronus laying against him on top, head resting on his chest. The bath was full enough that there was only a few inches of space between the water line and the gold-trimmed edge, but that was fine. Cronus closed his eyes, listened to the sound of Signless’s pusher beating, the soft ins and outs of his breathing. He felt Signless’s wet fingers stroking through his hair and the embrace of warm dark arms and calm water around him, after his body had grown so tired from such an intense and amazing experience. And he was in heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case anyone was curious about the use of Kanny: nothing kills this Signless's will to fuck faster than the nickname "Kanny" because **that's what his Mother calls him** lol.


End file.
